Car-coupling



(No Mdem 4 sheets-sheet 1..

' H. C. BUHOUP.

GAR GOUPLING No. 429,081. Patentedlvlay 27,1890.

INVENTOR,

(No-Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. C. BUHOUP.

GAR GOUPLING No. 429,081. Patented May 27, 1890.

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`(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. C. BUHOUP.

GAR GOUPLING Patented` May 27, 1890.

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GAR GOUPLING. Ne. 429,081. Patented Mey 27, 1890.

VUNITED STATES PATENT Prien.

HENRY C. BUHOUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO XVILLIAM MCOON- VAY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,081, dated May 2*?, 1890.

Application filed March 31, 1890. Serial No. 345,940. (No model.)

.T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BUHOUP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oliicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which improvements the following is a speciiication.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in the mechanism interposed between the car-coupling and buf- Iing mechanisms for the purpose of increasing the rigidity of the bufng mechanism by or from the movements of the coupling mechanism; and the invention has for its object such a construction of the interposed transmitting mechanism as Will permit the removal of one class or kind of coupling mechanism, as the J anney, and the substitution of.

zo another class or kind, as the Miller coupling,

as is frequently necessary in the passage of cars over different lines of railway.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved apparatus in connection with the Janney type of coupler and bufing apparatus, a portion of the car-timber being represented by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line cc Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing certain modifications in the apparatus. K Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line y Iy, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the strut or brace forming a part of the mechanism, interposed between the coupling and bufng mechanism. Fig. G is a view in elevation of the yoke-lever, also forming a part of the interposed mechanism. Fig. 7 is a det-ail showing the strut or brace integral with the follower-plate, and Fig. S is a plan View showing my improvements in connection with a Miller coupling and bufting apparatus.

springs 1 andv follower-plates 2 and 3 are arranged and supported on the longitudinal sills of the car in the usual or any suitable manner. The draft-bolt 4 is passed through the follower plates and springs and is provided at its outer end with a slot for the re- In the practice of my invention the draftception of the locki 11g-pin 5, which also passes through corresponding slots of the shank 6 of the draw-head, said shank having a suitable longitudinal opening for the reception of the draft-bolt.

In Fig. 2 the draft-bolt is shown comparatively short and connected to the shank or barrel of the draw-head at or near its rear end; but in Fig. 3 the draft-bolt is made sufficiently long to extend a considerable distance into the shank or barrel G, and is held in position by the horn 7 passing through suitable 'slots in the shank and draft-bolt and extending a short distance below the shank or barrel, for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

The stems S of the buffers 9 are passed through suitable sockets in the extreme end sill ot' the car-platform, as is customary, and have their inner ends attached in the usual manner to the ends of the equalizing-lever 10. This lever bears at its center against a washer or bearing-plate 11 at one end of a spring l2, having a corresponding washer or bearing plate 13 at the opposite end, and through the bearing-plates is passed a bolt 14, provided with a nut or head engaging the rear washer or bearing-plate. This bolt is eX- tended, as shown in Fig. 2, through the equalizin g-leverlO and the upper endof the yoke-lever l5, and is provided at its outer end with a head 16, adapted to engage a suitable seat 17 in the outerface of the yoke-lever, Whose rear face is held against the equalizing-lever by the normal tension of the springl2. The J anney yokelever l5 is mounted on the pivot-shaft 16, which is iiXed at its ends in the longitudinal ,sills of the car. As is customary, the Janney yoke h as an opening through its lower end for the passage of the shank orbarrel of the drawhead, and it is so proportioned as to length that the cross-bar forming the lower end of the yoke will be engaged by the horn 7 during the rearward movement of the drawing. The horn maybe loosely hung upon a pin 1S, passing transversely through the shank or barrel of the draw-head, as shown in Fig 2,`or may be formed by the extended lower end of the bolt or key employed for securing the draftbolt and draw-bar together, as shown in Fig. 3. In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the horn projects down through a slot 19 in the IOO shank or barrel of the draw-head, and vertically slotted so as to permit of its being1 forced up into the barrel, so as tb avoid en gagement with the stirrup 20, forming the front support for the d raw-head, when the latter is to be removed. The horn is provided on opposite edges with shoulders 2l, the one adapted to engage the outer and the other the inner wall of the barrel (i, thereby relieving the supporting-pin 18 of all strain when the horn is brought into Contact with the yokelever during the rearward movement of the draw-head. The front edge of the projecting portion of the horn is rounded so that it will automatically move up into the barrel on contact with the stirrup. In lieu of connecting the .Ianney yoke-lever to the draw-head by an upwardly-projecting horn and a bolt leading therefrom, a strut or brace 22 's interposed between the Janney yoke-lever and the rear follower-plate 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and This strut or brace is provided at its front end with rounded shoulders 23, adapted to engage concave seats in the rear face of the yoke-lever, and with a forwardly-prejecting tongue 2l, arranged between said shoulders and adapted to pass through an opening 25 in the yoke-lever and support the forward end of the strut in proper position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6, when the upper end of the yoke-lever is thrown forward, as hereinafter described. At its rear end the strut or brace is provided with downwardlyprojecting prongs or flanges 2G, preferably three in number, two thereof being adapted to bear against the front face of the followerplate 2 on opposite sides of the draft-spring 1, and the other adapted to extend over and bear upon the rear face of the follower-plate, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. If desired, the strut and rear follower-plate may be made integral with each other, as shown in Fig. 7.

\Vhen cars are forced together, as in coupling or stopping a train, the buffer-plates 9 first engage, thereby pushing the equalizingbar backward and compressing the spring 12, the rear bearing-plate 13 being held from movement by the bolt 1i, connecting it with the upper end of the yoke-lever 15, which is braced as against rearward movement by the strut 22. As the draw-heads are forced inwardly the horn 7 comes in contact with the lower end of the yoke-lever 15, thereby throwing its upper end forward and further compressing the spring 12, and through the medium of the spring and erpializing-lever forcing the buifers more lirmly together. Then the draw-heads are drawn out, the forward movement of the follower-plate 2 is imparted through the strut or brace 22 to the upper end of the yoke-lever 15, thereby causing the buffer-plates to bear more firmly together, the yoke-lever operating on the buffers through the mechanism hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 8 the improvement hereinbefore described is shown in connection with the Miller coupler and butiing apparatus, wherein the members of the coupler are held in engagement by means of a spring connected to the shank or barrel G of the coupler by a band or collar 27, surroumling the shank or barrel, as shown. This collar is made of such horizontal dimensions as to permit of the usual longitudinal movements of the draw-gear, and of such vertical dimensions as not to interfere with the downwardly-projecting horn 7 during the longitudinal movements of the d raw-gear incident to ordinary service or its entire removal for the substitution of another coupler. The barrel or shank G is so constructed that it may be connected to the drawbolt 4 either in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 7 or in that illustrated in Fig. 3. In the Miller bufiing apparatus only one buffer arranged over the coupler is employed, and as it is necessary on account of its projection beyond the end sill of the car to remove this buffer when a Janney coupler is used a yoke 28 is interposed between the Miller buffer and the equalizing-lever 10. This yoke 28, as described and shown in Letters Patent No. 281,901, dated July 24, 1883, has its rear end bifurcated, and each prong is provided with a seat adapted to engage the equalizing-levcr 10 on opposite sides of the yoke-lever l5. The operation of the devices herein described is similar, as will be readily understood, regardless of the form of coupler and buffercmployed.

As the Miller form of coupler requires a certain amount of lateral movement for coupling and uncoupling, the supporting-strap 20 is made sufficiently wide to permit of such lateral movement, and the barrel or shank 6 of the Janney coupler is provided with lateral enlargements where it passes through the strap 20 for the purpose of holding it from lateral movement, as shown in Fig. 1., and fully described in Letters Patent No. 281,901. Means similar to those described and shown in said patent are employed for operating the lock-pin of the J anney coupler and for shifting the Miller coupler laterally.

XVhen it is desired to substitute a Miller coupler for a Janney, it is only necessary to drive out the pin 5 in the construction shown in Fig. 2, or the horn 7 in that shown in Fig. 3, pull off the Janney draw-head, insert the Miller, replace the locking pin or horn, and connect the chain to the operating lever. iVhiie making these changes, the collar 2G is held away from contact or bearing against the barrels of the draw-heads by means of the dog` 29, (shown in Fig. 4,) and operating as described in Letters Patent N 281,901.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. The combination of a coupling mechanism, a bufing mechanism, a yoke-lever connected to the but-'fing mechanism, and abrace or strut interposed between the yoke-lever and theV rear follower-plate of thc coupling mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a coupling mechan- TOO ITO

ism, a bufng mechanism, a yoke-lever connected at one end to the bufiing mechanism, a brace or strut interposed between the yokelever and the rear follower-plate of the coupling mechanism, and a horn adapted to engage and shiftthe yoke-lever during the rearward movement of the coupling' mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a coupling mechanism, a bufflng mechanism, a yoke-lever connected at one end to the bung mechanism, a brace or strut interposed between the yokelever and the rear follower-plate of the coup-l ling mechanism, and a movable horn adapted to engage and shift the yoke-lever during the rearward movement of the coupling' mechanism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY o. BUHOUP.

Witnesses:

PHILLIP HIEN, J. P. DUFFY. 

